


Those Three Words

by commandershakarian



Series: Mass Effect one shots [19]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-14 02:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7147670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commandershakarian/pseuds/commandershakarian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cerberus attacks Omega Station in an attempt to gain control. Omega's people fight back, but as their losses climb, Izzy Shepard must make a decision. Does she leave Omega to find help or does she stay to help the man she loves survive?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Those Three Words

“I got you. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

He could barely hear Izzy’s voice over the explosions and gunfire. Omega Station was under attack by Cerberus. The last he’d heard, Aria had barely escaped the trap that was laid for her. Without Aria on Omega, the place was in chaos and Nydo Elgrin was expecting it to fall. Pain seared up his leg as he stepped upon it, the pain making him stumble. Izzy barely caught him, the extra weight of his body making it difficult for her to move away from the fighting fast enough.

Nydo’s leg gave out the moment they’d entered the safe house. Izzy’s grip slipped and he tumbled to the cold metal ground, pain pulsing in his shoulder after it connected with the floor.

“Fuck.” Izzy cursed, bending down to check on him. “Are you ok?”

“Just peachy,” he grumbled, not angry at her but at their situation. His slate colored eyes took in the disorder around him. The wounded wouldn’t survive and those that had been killed… Nydo had to stop himself from thinking about how many they’d lost. Cerberus had attacked without any warning and in the first strike, dozens of able-bodied mercenaries had been wiped out. Mercenaries that had been with Aria since the beginning of her reign. Mercenaries he had fought beside. People he had bled and sweat with. It had only been a few days and they were already losing.

Izzy’s blonde hair had blood splatter in spots, the only thing left of the batarian she tried to save from a bullet. She hadn’t wanted to abandon him to his fate, knowing that she might be able to help him, but combat had gotten too hot. He knew she blamed herself for losing all of the men in their sector, but in some way, Nydo blamed himself as well.

Her sky-blue eyes were concentrating on his leg wound. The burn was worse than he’d expected, but he refused to worry Izzy more than she already was. He hissed as she probed the scorched tissue. The sound made her flinch, her nose scrunching as she fought the fear that no doubt consumed her.

Nydo reached out with a shaking hand, brushing the stray pieces of hair from her face. At his touch, Izzy glanced up, concerned. He wasn’t used to seeing her so serious. It didn’t suit her, he decided. He missed the crazy nights of drinking, fighting, and fucking. War didn’t do anything for either of them and he couldn’t wait to kick Cerberus back to hell where they belonged. “Z?”

“Is the pain bad?” Her voice quivered beneath the facade she presented. “I can try to do something about it. Hold on-” She turned to call to one of the medics when Nydo placed his hand over top the one at his wound. She faced him once more, raising an eyebrow at the gesture.

“I’m going to be ok, Z. I promise.” He knew that he couldn’t keep that promise. With every ward on the station a war zone, his death could come at any moment. Both of theirs could. But he was willing to do anything to keep her from worrying about him. That would get _her_ killed.

“I know that, you asshole.” She pushed at his shoulder playfully, much like they did on any normal day, but the pain from his fall took him and he groaned at the contact. Her hands fluttered over him as she tried to find the source of his pain. “Shit! I’m sorry.”

Gritting his teeth, he met her eyes. “You need to find Aria, Z. We can’t keep this up for much longer.”

Izzy shook her head, her ponytail whipping the sides of her face with the movement. “I won’t leave you here alone, Ny. That’s a death sentence!”

“We’re all going to die if you don’t. Find Aria. Find your sister. Or your brother. Find _someone_ that can help. I don’t care who it is, just help us destroy those bastards.”

Izzy fell silent, pondering his words, knowing he was right, but fighting for an excuse to keep her at his side. She couldn’t abandon him, it wasn’t in her nature no matter how much she acted like she didn’t give a shit. It’s what he loved most about her.

Biting her lip, she nodded her agreement. “Fine, but you better be alive when I get back or I’ll-”

“Or you’ll kick my ass?” He finished for her, smirking when a smile appeared on her face.

“You know it,” she promised, leaning forward to press a desperate kiss to his lips. He didn’t know when the next time he’d see Izzy would be, if he would ever see her again, but he knew that she would do whatever she had to do to see Omega safe again. Well, as safe as it could be. He would do no less. When she pulled away, she wiped at her eyes, refusing to look at him again. He heard her whisper those three words they had yet to say to the air. Then Izzy exchanged a few words with a medic about Nydo’s condition before grabbing a gun and leaving the safe house and his life, for possibly the last time.

As the door was shut and secured behind her, he closed his eyes. _“I love you, Z.”_


End file.
